Cranes, roe deer, fox - OH MY!

One way cool thing about where I work now is that there are several long term projects that have been going on for >20 years, so that practically anyone who has touched foot here has been out to volunteer on one of the projects in some manner.  The roe deer project is one that has been going on For Ever (it seems).  They have been collaring or marking fawns and adults for >20 years and have this huge rich database tracing the families of deer that live in this area.  Roe deer are facinating little ungulates.  They tend to have twins and actually stash them and leave them unlike moose calves who stay at their mothers heal from birth. Because the roe deer stash their young, it makes our job tricky to find them.  You need lots of eyes and to walk searching in the bush hoping that you will not step on the fawn or that you are fast enough to tackle it when it does finally bolt out from the bush its been hiding in.  If you get them within 1 day of birth, they tend not to run.

 The project here captures fawns, puts expandable and breakaway collars on them, draws blood, and ear marks them along with taking measurements etc.  The breakaway collars will basically degrade away and fall off their necks before they are 1 year old (in theory).

Besides roe deer, there are also people working on cranes - The cranes cause a lot of crop damage, particularly when they come in the thousands in the fall. Cranes are kind of territorial - or rather, they have their family's home area and if there is a pair of cranes there, there isn't likely another family in the same field.  Lovisa is a PhD student who is trying to track the birds and find out where they migrate to during the winter.  So, part of the challenge is to tag the chicks right after they hatch, before they get their flight wings.  The challenge with this is you need to be fast.  From the second you see the birds in the field, you need to move.  What happens is we drive along looking for birds with chicks.
We see them in a field and the chase is on...Its kind of tricky and you hope that the field they are in has been harvested already - but you drive through the ditch onto the field and directly at the birds trying to get between them and edge of the field or forest.  Once sort of close, even before the trcuk comes to a stop, you jump out of the vehicle and start running.  You run at the chicks (very important you know which is the chick from adult).  The chicks can't fly, the adults eventually fly away and then circle while waiting for you to finish.  But, hopefully you will get to them before they disappear - and in high grass or forest, they disappear QUICK.  They will duck down and poof they are gone and just like those fawns they hide and now you have to search for them.  Its crazy.  If you can corner them they will puff up and try to peck at your eyes.  They know where your eyes are and they aim for them!

Once captured, keep the head behind your body and start to take measurements and put the backpack GPS on it. They put the legs bands on it that identify through color and pattern where the bird was initially captured .  Good to go!

One of the most frustrating projects that I see Grimsö has been doing for a while is trying to look at red fox impact on roe deer, interactions with lynx, and predation threat on other creatures here in Sweden (mostly a huge concern for competition with arctic fox - but not in our area).  What is frustrating to me or for me is how freaking hard it is in Sweden to capture a red fox.  Sweden is extremely extremely extremely conscious of animal welfare - to the hindrance of progress when it comes to scientific studies of wildlife.  Everywhere Ive been thus far, most people equate wildlife studies to laboratory studies on mice - which is so unfair to compare with.  We do not work in a lab and trying to make laboratory standards exist in the field is ridiculous expectation.  There are plenty of capture methods in existence in the world, but Sweden is very specific about what can and cannot be used, unfortunately removing some of the most effective and efficient methods of capture in order to enforce those laboratory "expectations" - Anyway, its too much detail for this simple blog - lets just say that the methods of capture here in Sweden are really inefficient compared to USA.  OR the foxes here in Sweden are simply behaviorally way different than USA (could be both).

One of the fun things about foxes is that they stink or rather their pee stinks.  They really smell bad and to get them out of the trap you really have to consider your own clothing. Gustaf has these coveralls that are his trapping clothing because the smells just permeate and will not leave once set.

Ive met the real Santa and guess what - He's Finnish!

In my last blog I mentioned how Finland claims to be the home location for Santa.  That would be Ravaniemi.  This is the 5th time Ive crossed the Arctic circle on foot in the 3rd country.  Its also the second Santa home Ive visited.

This was the first time I really can recall being incredibly giddy while visiting a santa.  Santa's at malls have NOTHING on this guy.  There was something that was totally real about this man and the atmosphere and the beard and the clothing - it was all superb.

Oddly enough, I have now met 3 people who are terrified of Santa.  Tuija and her sister do not like Santa and refused to get within 10 feet of him.  Maybe terrified is the wrong word, but they didn't want anything to do with him.  They were however, very encouraging of me.  So much so that I got photos and video (if I can ever get the web site to work) of my visit with Santa.  The entire conversation was recorded.

My first impression of Santa was "Holy crap your shoes and socks rock!"  That is what made this Santa the best Ive ever met.

This place was very cool.  Open 364 days of the year, everyone can come and talk to Santa for free.  Santa, I think speaks 5 languages at least.  His elvish helpers are from around the world...I thought the elf I met was Russian, but Tuija says likely not.  I haven't met many Finnish people so maybe he's just got what I would equate to a Russian accent but he's really Finnish and I just can't tell.  No matter, I like to believe he was Russian - and tall, very unelvish.

Diagram explaining how Santa slows down the Earth's rotation
in order to make his deliveries.

Fabulous Finnish Foods - what Fun!

Though many Alaskans would argue, Finland claims to have the official house of Santa....but I will get to that in a moment.

First, on May day there is a traditional food that one needs to eat....its the Tippaleipä - traditionally served with Sima.  Sima is a fermented lemon juice that is a real big hit or miss depending on who made it.  This Sima was a total miss.  It tasted baaad.  The Tippaleipä...Looks like funnel cakes if you are familiar with the American fair food.

 When Tuija brought me the dish I made the worst mistake a person can make when eating foreign food.  I made the mistake of thinking it would be just like the funnel cakes Ive eaten during my childhood.  I was imagining the yummy doughy deep fried hot and steamy doughnut like cake, with the powdered sugar just melting as the funnel cake dissolves in your mouth.  oooh so yummy, making my mouth water as I think about it right now.

It was not hot, steamy or soft and melty.  It was not smooth and it did not dissolve anywhere.

Something else that is traditionally eaten in Finland is Leipäjuusto (bread cheese) or juustoleipä, which is also what I would call Finnish squeaky cheese!  YUMMY - and you would not believe how you eat it - you take

The cheese is on the right, the cupcakes were left just
because they look so pretty.

 a slice, pour in some heavy cream and sprinkle in some cinnamon - heat until warm and then put into a bowl and cover with cloud berries and  gaaaaaaaasp! sooooooo good! 

In Finland, Ive come to appreciate rye bread even more.  Well, maybe I shouldn't finger out Finland alone.  The variety of breads in EU is sooooo tremendously huge compared to the bread we eat in USA.  Additionally, Ive yet to find anything mundane as white bread.  Most of the time its wheat or rye here.  Love it!  In this photo all the way on the left is another yummy yummy dish - if served right.  It is this baked rice pudding surrounded by really really really thin rye bread.  The way I like to eat it is to have it warm, melted butter on top with a little bit of cinnamon or sugar.  The name is something like Karjalan or Ive also seen Karelian and Karjalanpiirakka.  Whatever its called, it is just a solid breakfast dish I enjoy.

Finland - land of funny hats and baggy pants?

I decided that I needed to make it to all of Scandinavia proper like (I went to Finland in 2007, but it was only to an island in between Sweden and Finland) - so, Ive a friend Tuija who was coming back to Grimsö to do her masters work.  So, I asked if I could come visit and travel back to the station with her and she graciously agreed to host me and show me around before heading back to our work.

I headed over on April 29 just in time to arrive for May day celebrations.  May 1st in Sweden and Finland is celebrated the entire week before (in some places).  April 30th the town ...Oh, i forgot to say I flew into Oulu where Tuija is going to university....So, on the 30th the town is overrun with college and high school students who's entire purpose (so it seems) is to drink copious amounts of alcohol.  It is one big street party, only its really concentrated in parts of the town, but its all over the town.  Tuija did not think I should miss out on this adventure - starting the day off right (10am) we sample a little of the traditional (student choice) finnish vodka with orange juice (to make it breakfast).  We then decide to take our party down town to experience the sights and just people watch.

 Couple things I have learned about Finnish culture - when they graduate high school, they get these funny lookin (my opinion) sailor hat type things.  These hats are warn once a year every year after they graduate, every year leading up to May 1.


Another interesting tradition is
 that while in university, each school has its own color and if you belong to a school, you wear a set of coveralls that is of that schools color.  You then decorate your coveralls with patches.  These patches you have "earned" by participating in various activities.  I think maybe some people even just buy patches - but to be true, you should earn them.  This tradition started back in the 50's I think.  Man!  with my secret love (OK, not so secret anymore) of patches, I really want this tradition to happen in USA.  I love it - maybe it hearkens back to my time as a girl-scout earning those merit badges.  I loved it and with more adult themed patches, i think you can have loads of fun.

It was a lot like a block party or tail gate party - lots of little packs of people, BBQing, or having a picnic - the only odd thing was that there wasn't many souls over the age of 25 - except this guy:

He made a stereo that is powered by
his feet!

Not quite sure, but you aren't allowed to hold hands with little people in certain parts of finland...he he he he

More to come on Finland....stay tuned!

Black grouse lek visit

Female is in the tree
All of the males are at the base
of the trees below her.  In this photo
you can see the butt of one male

One of the coolest things to do here in Grimsö is to go and watch the black grouse during the lekking season.  Leks are the display ground for many bird species (grouse and crains etc.)  This is where the males gather together and they will dance and put on a display for the females that hang out in the trees and the surrounding landscape.  The females watch the males strut around and make a big fuss of themselves.  To watch this behavior, you have to be out there before sunrise because you need to sneak under the cover of darkness to be able to sit there and watch the display.  My first attempt was unfortunately too light already at 5am.  Being that it's Sweden and you know...spring it already started to get too "bright" by 5am.   

With my lack of bird biology knowledge, I decided to go home and try again another day.  From what I hear, if they are really in the fever of display, the birds will come back - you just have to be patient and QUIET.  So, 3 days later I returned, earlier and made it into the observation blind.  I went at 4am and fell asleep.  However, I set my alarm for 5am.  At 4:40 I awoke to hear the birds calling.  I shut off my alarm and was waiting for the light to come out better.  Although the sun was up, it was not bright, it was still dusky.  So I leaned back and was listening, waiting and trying to watch.  The little shed had benches in it, but my bench was far away from the little window.  So, at 4:50 I didn't even realize what I had done, but I reached down and scooted the bench forward.  POOF! all the birds were gone.  Spooked by the scraping of the bench across the wooden floor.  Again, I was told the birds would come back - but I think I was still too early in the season cuz by 6:30am they had not returned so I left.

So, one more try right?!?!  A week later, I had to get out there even earlier because of the light and this time I set the bench right next to the window when I arrived.  Success!! and even the little noises I did make - the birds were so inthrawled in their display dance that it took quite a bit of noise to flush them away.  By 8am they were still dancing and I was bored.  (GASP!)

However, the behavior was pretty cool up till it became redundant.  The males would stand on their little mounds, fan out their feathers, make some noise and then hop down and wander over to another male's mound.  When close enough, the males would puff up, look big and charge each other.